FORMER JUAREZ POLICE COMMANDER SOUGHT IN CAPTAINS' DISAPPEARANCES

Chihuahua state authorities said they are seeking a former Juarez police
commander, who may be in El Paso, for questioning in connection with the
disappearance of two Juarez police captains.

Roberto Corral Barron, who recently resigned as police operations
coordinator, supervised one of the missing police captains, Oscar
Arrellano, who also has relatives in El Paso.

Police Capt. Marco Antonio Portillo, the other missing police officer, last
was seen Sept. 14, and Arrellano was reporting missing Aug. 30. Both were
in uniform and on their way to work before they turned up missing.

At that time, an internal affairs investigation was looking into
allegations that several high-level police officials had connections to
drug traffickers.

Relatives of the missing captains told authorities they were threatened for
trying to find out what happened to Arrellano and Portillo.

City officials said former police Commissioner Jorge Ostos had them
terminated and dropped from the city payroll for failing to report for work.

Corral and Ostos resigned last week, shortly after the Chihuahua state
congress appointed a new interim mayor for Juarez.

Officials said Corral declined to be interviewed by state police
voluntarily, and said they are considering ordering him to appear at state
police offices.

Last week, Juarez city officials said 77 city police officers tested
positive for drug use.

As in the past with other police who tested positive for drugs, they will
be fired rather than reprimanded or otherwise punished.